#63: Contentment

On episode 63, Tim discusses how being content is a daily submission/surrender to God.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome into episode number sixty three of Bring Heaven Down.
My name is Tim and I'm the host of this
daily devotional podcast that shows up in your feed Monday
through Friday. Make sure you hit that follow buttons of
this podcast will show up in your feet as often
as it becomes available, and rate and review the show
if you are willing to do that as well. And

(00:23):
I just want to say thank you so much for
making this podcast part of your day and for choosing
Jesus for going on this podcasting journey. I really appreciate
the support, the emails, the feedback, good and bad, and
I thank you for really making this podcast part of
your day and choosing Jesus. All right, on today's topic,

(00:47):
I want to talk about one of the most challenging
things to do in our society today, because what God
calls us to be, what God calls us to do,
is so counter cultural to what society asks of us.

(01:16):
Is so countercultural of the pressure society puts on us.
So grab your favorite drink or a cup of coffee,
and let's bring Heaven a little closer together. This has

(01:36):
been something that has been top of mind recently for me.
I like to live by the two seas composure meaning
I'm not going to be offended. I am not going
to get upset easily or at all. I am not

(01:57):
going to lose my temper. I am going to stay composed.
And then the other see is contentment. Content because in
the world that we live in, we feel a pressure
to keep up with the pace that everybody else is

(02:20):
going at. New car, new vehicle, new house, new couch,
new kitchen, appliances, vacation or traveling. And when you hear
other people doing these things, our sinful nature automatically creates

(02:40):
a jealous mindset or a mindset that is not content,
because we feel like we gotta do more and more
and more and more and more. We gotta play ketchup, ketchup, ketchup,
ketcher ketchup. And in Filippy, Chapter four, verses eleven through thirteen,

(03:04):
it says this the apostle Paul wrote this, I am
not saying this because I am in need, for I
have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know
what it is to be in need, and I know
what it is to have plenty. I have learned the
secret of being content in any and every situation, whether

(03:25):
well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want,
I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.
Being content is an everyday decision that we must submit
to the Lord, because if we don't, we are going
to be like the rest of the world, trying to

(03:49):
be fulfilled in the things that we are trying to accomplish.
In Genesis, it talks about how we were made in
the image of God, and because we were made in
the image of God, that means that if we try

(04:11):
to find our purpose, find our fulfillment in anything but God,
it will all fall short. We were not meant to
find our fulfillment in worldly things. We were not meant
to find our sense of hope, sense of fulfillment in

(04:38):
anything but God. And eventually what happens is we all
find out that everything that we're chasing, even if you
accomplish it, even if you find success in it, everything
fails in comparison to the fulfillment that we receive in

(05:00):
Jesus as our Lord and Savior. And being content is
a struggle for me, and I try my best, but
when I see my podcast numbers and I compare those
to the best podcasts in the world, and I'm striving.
I want to do more. I want to do more.
I want to do more. I want to be better,
I want to be better. I'm chasing this. I'm chasing

(05:22):
And there's nothing wrong with trying to do better or
have goals. The problem lies when we replace our fulfillment
in God with a fulfillment and a material thing like

(05:44):
a goal or money, vacation, playing catch up with the
rest of society, because society is all about finding fulfillment
in every day things and material things, and the Christian

(06:05):
can get caught up in it because we see them chasing,
and we can get jealous with the things that they've accomplished.
So then we inherently try to chase ourselves because we
see them doing it. So I challenge for you today

(06:27):
and for the days going forward is to try to
live with the content heart. And the first step in
doing that is understanding that everything that we are trying
to accomplish or find our fulfillment in falls short to

(06:50):
the fulfillment that we can receive in having Jesus as
their Lord and savior. If you know Jesus, if you
have a relationship with Jesus, that in and of itself
is reason to be content because eternity is at stake.
So I hope this podcast was encouraging for you today

(07:11):
and I hope it challenged you. Being content is a
daily challenge. It's a daily submission and surrender because temptations
are real and they are everywhere. Thank you for choosing Jesus,
and I hope the Holy Spirit revealed more and more
about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.